Access Denied
by Loopstagirl
Summary: A vacation for two of the brothers doesn't go according to plan. Then again, they're Tracys. When does anything go according to plan?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners._

 _Hey guys! Look who is back with another story! Hope you like it and as usual, many thanks to Bee for sorting it out for me!_

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"You know, if you stop whining, we can get it done and get out of here?" Scott cast an amused look at his younger brother as they climbed out of the cab.

Virgil was scowling. It was the same scowl he used to get when he had been five. Realising his brother wasn't going to pay, Scott handed the driver the money and watched as the cab pulled away. Virgil let out a long-suffering sigh, looking as if he had lost his escape route from something dreadful.

"C'mon." Scott rolled his eyes, nudging his brother in the arm and beginning to walk towards the skyscraper dominating the skyline. His father's offices had always been big, but the last few trips showed he was still expanding. Not just with the number of staff, but the size of the building as well. It was bigger than any of the surrounding ones and Scott smirked. Their father liked to rebuke them when he thought they were acting like children, but Scott had to wonder if he was any better. After all, he was making sure he had the biggest office in the area.

"I don't get why he couldn't have picked it up himself next week when he is over here," Virgil grumbled. Scott glanced behind him to make sure his brother was following and not running in the opposite direction. Virgil glared at him. "We are supposed to be on leave."

"You do realise we're technically on the company's payroll right? If picking up a few forms once in a while as we are over here anyway is all we have to do, that's fine by me."

All they had to do was pick up an original copy of a report their father wanted. He wasn't asking for much. Even in this day and age, some people refused to take digital copies of a file. Although he didn't know the contents, Scott knew the report was important. Receiving it a week earlier could mean a lot to his father and the company. Which in turn meant International Rescue, so Scott was prepared to do whatever it took.

"But…"

"Dad originally wanted to us to take it in turns sitting in on meetings so we had a more active presence."

Virgil's mouth snapped shut and he swallowed his complaint. Scott grinned. He knew that would be the reaction. If Virgil thought this was bad, he wouldn't want their father hearing and making him do more.

As silence settled between them and Virgil fell into step with him, Scott softened. "It won't take more than five minutes. Then we'll go and check out that museum if you want?"

This time, Scott burst out laughing at the expression that crossed Virgil's face. He didn't seem to be able to work out if Scott meant it or not and the result was utter confusion.

"You hate museums," Virgil eventually spluttered. They had reached the offices and Scott yanked open the door, stepping back to let Virgil enter first. Both brothers rummaged in pockets for scarcely used passes as their footsteps echoed loudly on the marble floor.

"But you don't," Scott said. "I think I can stomach it for one afternoon, as long as you promise you won't recap everything we saw for hours afterwards."

"Deal!" Virgil said.

When Scott glanced at him, he saw Virgil had finally lost his frown and there was a barely-concealed grin of excitement on his face. That expression, too, looked exactly the same as it had done when Virgil was five and Scott fondly shook his head. That grin was why he said he would go.

Just the once though.

They had crossed the foyer while talking and simultaneously both brothers put their passes on the desk. They knew they would be recognised, but if they wanted to get the job done, they needed identification. Their father insisted both his sons and his staff followed protocol.

"We need access to my father's office," Scott said. He didn't notice how his voice had changed. He didn't sound like a fond older brother now, but a commander, someone who expected to be listened to.

Their father's office was secured in multiple ways while he wasn't there. There was information in there that could lead back to International Rescue - if someone knew what they were looking for. Scott wasn't sure who had put the idea in his father's mind, but the man had grown paranoid someone would be able to make the connection because of a random, unimportant file left carelessly out. It was easier to play along and let him secure the room as he wished than family members had keys, but they only worked when their passes were scanned in reception as well. It was a complicated system with cameras and added security locks that Scott didn't understand. Then again, it had been Brains who had designed it. The day he properly understood one of Brains' inventions would be the day he retired from International Rescue!

"Of course." There was a giggle hidden in the words and it was only Virgil's foot pressing on his toes that stopped Scott from reacting. It was a young receptionist, pretty and feminine in a way that might have made Scott look twice if it wasn't for the simpering in her voice. She did indeed recognise them and their names alone were clearly enough to interest her. Scott looked the other way in annoyance while the passes were scanned in.

He dragged Virgil away as soon as he could. It was Virgil's turn to start laughing as the elevator doors shut behind them.

"You look like you're sucking a lemon," he chortled as they were sent whizzing upwards.

Scott's scowl deepened "How is anything supposed to be real when people react like that?"

"Not everyone reacts like that. That girl in the bar last night…"

"Yeah, until her boyfriend turned up." Scott's sighed irritably when he thought about how a promising evening had ended with him and Virgil ducking out of a bar and running back to their apartment. Their father kept one in the city so they didn't have to deal with hotels while on business. But the last thing they needed while enjoying some time away from the island was the press getting hold of their whereabouts.

"Oh cheer up, Scott," Virgil said, the laughter fading from his voice. "We only have a couple of days left, don't let what happened put you off. You might meet someone this afternoon."

"In a _museum_?"

"Art attracts the girls; haven't you worked that out yet?"

"And there I was thinking you actually cared about the paintings."

"I do!"

"Mm hmm." The lift stopped and Scott led the way out, Virgil's indignant protest still ringing in his ears. He wondered if his brother realised his voice had risen in pitch.

They both paused outside their father's office, waiting for the cameras to recognise their faces as being the same as the ones on the passes scanned below. As soon as they had, a small green light blinked into existence and Scott slid the key into the lock. Within seconds, he was shutting the door behind him again.

Virgil wasted no time moving across the room and sinking into the leather couch lining one wall. Lying back, he dangled his feet over the end and relaxed.

"Don't worry, Virg, I'll get what we need."

"Knew you would," Virgil responded, sighing as he let the seat take his weight. Scott moved to the desk. He pressed his finger to a small sensor, only moving it when his print had been read. The drawer clicked open and Scott sat in his father's seat to pull it open properly.

He had just reached for the report when he suddenly heard Virgil suck in a sharp breath. Glancing up, Scott's heart skipped a beat at the look his brother was giving him.

"What?"

"You…" Virgil looked incapable of finishing his sentence for a moment. As Scott stared at him in rising panic, he swallowed and started again.

"You look scarily like Dad right now."

It was Scott's turn to gape.

"You…" Reaching behind him, he grabbed the cushion supporting his back and threw it at his brother. Virgil caught it neatly - but Scott knew he would. "I thought something serious had happened, you jerk!"

"It _is_ serious," Virgil laughed, throwing the cushion back. Scott neatly returned it to its position and reached back into the drawer.

"You're getting on in your old age, you know," Virgil continued. "Might have to think about retiring soon."

"Oh yeah? And who would take my role, you?"

"No way, I'm good where I am, thanks. Alan could though."

" _Alan?"_ Resisting the urge to throw something heavier at his brother, Scott stood up. When they were off the island, it was automatic to guard what they were saying. But Scott knew what Virgil was implying and the idea of Alan flying Thunderbird One was enough to make him shudder.

Scott pulled the report out and crossed the room, grabbing Virgil's arm as he passed. Without warning, he hauled the younger man to his feet.

"We're done here."

"Already?"

"I told you it wouldn't take long. Where do you want to go for lunch?" Scott moved towards the door. Then stopped. His heart skipped a beat and Scott stared at the door. Virgil shot him a quizzically look and made to move forward. As he did, Scott yanked him to a stop just as a shadow passed under the door. Virgil gave him an incredulous look and Scott knew why. People would be walking the corridor; this was a working office, after all. But something didn't feel right. Scott shook his head at Virgil, warning him not to open the door.

"Scott?" Virgil's voice was low. Scott knew what his brother was thinking. It wasn't only his father paranoid these days – what was so suspicious about someone walking past? They were here on vacation, taking a break from danger and having to be alert. It was the middle of the day and the offices would be busy. There was no reason for him to react like this. Scott tried to shake the feeling and reached for the door again.

And stopped, staring.

The shadow wasn't passing on, but had stopped. Right outside the door. Scott knew the camera in the corner of the door would even now be trying to identify him. But there were no other passes that could be matched to enter the office. The person wasn't getting in. But why had they stopped?

Backing away silently, Scott motioned for Virgil to do the same. He didn't want to give away the fact that there were people in the office - and he wanted to know who this was. Virgil seemed to be thinking the same, for while Scott was still backing up, he rounded their father's desk and turned on the desktop resting on it.

"What are you doing?" Scott muttered, keeping his voice quiet. Sound didn't travel from here. Their father used it for important business calls, he wouldn't risk anyone passing by overhear him. But Scott didn't want even a muffle of noise escaping and alerting the intruder to their presence.

"Seeing if I can access the cameras from here and find out who it is. If he doesn't back away, we can send it to John and get him to do something about it."

Grinning at how Virgil still believed John could solve anything, Scott also rounded the desk so he could see what was going on. It came as no surprise that the computer was state of the art and was loaded in seconds. No doubt Brains had upgraded it more than the usual computers.

"Password protected," Virgil sighed, staring at the screen. Scott nudged the chair, leant over and typed in their mother's name. Pausing for a second, he then entered her birthday straight afterwards and hit enter. The computer loaded.

"How did you know that?"

"Strong password means letters and numbers."

"Yeah, but…"

"It's Dad, Virg," Scott said softly, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder fleetingly. "What else was it going to be?"

As Virgil shrugged in acknowledgement, Scott hoped no one else knew his father that well. It really shouldn't have been that predictable and Scott wondered if he should have a word with the man. Or get John to – his brother would be able to explain the dangers of an obvious password far better than Scott could. A fleeting wry smile crossed Scott's expression – Virgil was not the only one who relied on John, it seemed.

But once they were in, it was over to Virgil. Scott didn't know what he was doing and he watched enviously as Virgil navigated his way around the complex software on the machine in order to pull up the camera feed. He linked to the camera – something Scott wasn't sure was supposed to be possible from the desktop – and they found themselves looking at the man outside of the door.

"Know him?" Scott asked, staring at the image. Virgil shook his head.

"Nope. Amateur?"

"Guessing so. How did he get past reception?"

"By batting his eyelids?" Virgil scoffed and Scott had to admit he had a point. The way the receptionist had behaved with them, it wouldn't have surprised Scott if a bit of flattery had allowed this man to charm his way into the building.

"He's not an employee," Virgil continued. Scott glanced at the screen to see his brother was running a check. The man was wearing a suit, but it was a cheap one. No doubt a pretence to get into the building. He wasn't much older than the brothers but Scott knew that meant nothing. After all, they were out saving the world every other day; age wasn't an indication of skill.

"He's not leaving," Scott muttered after they had both spent a few moments staring at the screen. If anything, the man had moved closer to the door. He seemed to be simply looking at it, but even watching via the camera, Scott could see the alertness and calculation in his eyes. Whatever he was doing, he wasn't just standing there.

"Right," Virgil moved the chair around to a better position. "Let's find out who you are."

"You can do that from here?"

"Nope. But John can from Five and if we've got an identity, we've got a way of knowing if we should be worried." Virgil pushed up his sleeve as he spoke, revealing his watch. Scott nodded when his brother caught his eye, knowing that Virgil was waiting for him to agree to the plan. Virgil returned the nod and lifted his arm.

"John, come in," he said, pressing a button on his watch as he did so. Their brother didn't take long to respond.

" _Can you two seriously not even manage a week without needing me to play peacemaker?"_

"What? No. I mean, yes…"

"We're at the office, John," Scott cut in, deciding to ignore the remark. He took a light hold of Virgil's arm as he spoke. "We've got a slight problem."

" _Index finger, Scott."_

"I know." Scott said. Did John really think he couldn't open the drawer? "That's not the problem. We've got a guest."

Intending to move the watch so that John had a visual on the screen, Scott flinched when Virgil hit him.

"My arm doesn't bend that way!" the younger brother hissed, snatching his arm back. "John, take a look at the camera access."

"He can do that?"

"Where is he, Scott? He can access pretty much anything."

" _Well, not quite anything…_ "

"Now, please," Virgil muttered, his eyes locked on the screen. Scott reached over and squeezed his shoulder, knowing the longer the man stood there, the tenser Virgil would become. Scott couldn't blame him; it had been a quiet trip so far and that normally meant trouble was still to come for the Tracys. Maybe he should have let the press notice them in the bar after all...?

Virgil shot him a look that Scott knew meant he appreciated the concern but it really wasn't helping. Neither of them so much as blinked while they waited for John, eyes glued to the screen.

Scott leant closer. "What's he doing?"

The man seemed to be reaching into his pocket for something. Scott didn't know what he was expecting, but he laughed in relief when the man pulled out what seemed to be an ordinary pen. But his laughter died in his throat when he caught sight of Virgil's face.

"What is it?" Scott asked, his voice cautious.

"I don't know. But it's not a pen," Virgil said quietly. "John?"

" _I can't tell from here, it's too far away. But I've got you a name."_

"Well?" Scott didn't like the tense note in John's voice.

" _Jacob Keane."_

"Who?"

" _Doesn't matter. The problem is, he was some sort of whizz kid. I'm talking Brains level. Taken out of school when he was fourteen to work for some company - haven't got a name yet. Disappeared off the radar after that. If he has something in his hand, chances are he can get through that door."_

Virgil muttered a hurried thanks and disconnected before looking at Scott. Scott knew he had to think, he had to work out how they would handle this. If it was just the business information in here, he might have sat back, then called the police afterwards. But they couldn't risk this Keane making connections to International Rescue. Maybe his father wasn't paranoid…Maybe there were things in this room that could link the Tracys to the world-rescue organisation.

"Go into the bathroom," Scott said, gesturing to the en-suite off his father's office. "And whatever you do, stay quiet."

"What are you going to do?" Virgil asked, trying to resist the shove his brother gave him. Scott pushed harder, forcing Virgil to take a stumbling step in that direction.

"Find out what he wants."

"What? Scott, are you mad?"

"If he breaks in, the whole system is compromised and our vacation is over until Brains gets out here. Maybe I can talk to him and sort this out?"

Scott was not the slightest bit reassured by the dubious look that his brother shot him, but he was glad Virgil decided to do as he was told, disappearing into the bathroom. When the door clicked shut behind him, Scott turned off the computer, squared his shoulders and prepared to open the office door.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, especially those I can't respond directly too!_

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Scott looked around as he reached the door. It came as no surprise to see the bathroom door still open a little and Virgil visible through it. Rolling his eyes, Scott knew there was nothing he could do about it. He would have done exactly the same thing, keeping an eye on the situation (and his brother) at all times. But if their visitor used his strange device to get through the door, then security would be compromised and their vacation would be officially off until everything was sorted.

Scott had waited too long for these few days of freedom and he knew Virgil felt the same. He would be damned if he let some guy ruin it. Resting his hand on the door handle, Scott took a breath even as he pulled it open.

"Oh!" He inwardly cringed. That had been terrible. He didn't sound at all shocked and knew the expression on his face wouldn't be convincing either. He had never been the acting type. But the other man still jumped, leaping back a pace with a curse. He looked up and Scott forced himself not to react to the darkening look on Keane's face. He wasn't the Field Commander of International Rescue here. He was a playboy millionaire who spend his days doing nothing. Still, as Keane continued to glare, Scott felt his fingers twitching, wanting to react.

"You shouldn't be here," Keane muttered, glancing up and down the hallway. When he didn't back off any further, Scott knew there was no one else around. Keane wasn't backing away – he clearly didn't see Scott as a threat while there was no one else to witness his presence.

"Neither should you," Scott responded. He knew he had to be careful, but that didn't mean he had to act weak. After all, it was no secret he had been in the Air Force. He wasn't a pushover and if this man had done his research, he would know that. "My father's not here. You'll have to come back another day."

Scott made to step out of the room, knowing the door would lock behind him. He had left his pass on the desk when they first realised they had a problem so Keane wouldn't be able to use him to get back in again. He couldn't let on he knew the man had been standing here for a while trying to force the door.

"You're not going anywhere."

Scott's surprise was more genuine this time as Keane moved, blocking his path and his hand coming to rest on Scott's chest. Scott looked down, but before he could react, Keane shoved him back, hard. Scott stumbled, fighting to regain his balance as he fell through the door. While he remained on his feet, the door also remained open long enough for Keane to slip through. It might have been less than ideal, but at least the security system itself hadn't been breached.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't be in here. Go now before I call security." If Keane was on his own, Scott knew they had nothing to worry about. He could take the man down on his own and if not, Virgil was no doubt keeping an eye on things. He stepped towards Keane, determined to get him out. But as he reached for the man's arm, Keane reached for his pocket.

Scott froze as a gun was pressed against his chest. Keane moved forward, forcing Scott back until he was sitting on the sofa.

"You're not supposed to be here," the man repeated. Although he kept the gun trained on Scott, he shifted hands as he let a rucksack slide from his back. Scott couldn't help but shift, cursing himself for not noticing it before. He had no idea what was inside it, but he knew the possibilities made it more dangerous for him and Virgil.

"But I've come too far to back down now. I can't."

"Back down from what?" Scott asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. He wasn't scared of the gun – he had room to react if Keane looked as if he was going to pull the trigger. But he couldn't deny a hint of nerves making his heart-rate speed up. He might not be scared, but no one liked having a gun pointed at them. "Whatever you are planning to do, it isn't too late to walk away. Leave now before security come."

"You haven't called them."

"How do you know?"

"I've been watching you."

Scott bit back a retort, knowing Keane had believed his fake surprise when the door had first opened. But it was true - since they had bumped into each other, Scott had had no chance to call for help. Keane knew he was bluffing.

"You know this won't work." Scott muttered, beginning to get the feeling his attempt to talk the man out of this wasn't going to work.

"Just shut up, will you?"

As Keane backed away and pulled open the bag, Scott risked a glance at the bathroom. He could just make out Virgil but he shook his head warningly. The longer his brother remained undetected, the better. Keane was still directing the gun at him, but his attention was focused on the bag. Scott shifted forward a little before stilling to see if his action had been noticed. When Keane didn't react, he made to do it again. But he hesitated as Keane pulled a radio out of his bag. He looked back up at Scott, who froze.

"I'm in," Keane said and Scott knew this was a lot bigger than one man trying his luck. As Keane put the radio down, Scott lunged for him. He managed to jerk the gun out of Keane's hand and sent it spinning across the room, towards the bathroom. It didn't take long before he had both of Keane's hands gripped in his own, pinning them to the floor as he straddled him.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, knowing the time for pretence was over. If questions were asked over his ability, he would tell the truth – that the Air Force had taught him a lot. International Rescue had only honed the skills he already had. But Scott had to keep Virgil safe and if that meant getting answers in more unconventional ways, then so be it.

"Like you don't know. Doesn't Daddy tell you everything?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Keane didn't answer, but instead wrenched at Scott's hold. It wasn't enough to shake the pilot loose and Scott exerted more pressure, pinning him down.

"Tell me what you mean! What do you want?"

Keane fell still, panting as he stared up at Scott. For a long moment, Scott didn't think he would answer. He was about to stand, determined to get Keane down to security and end this when a loud noise made him jump.

The fire alarm continued to scream its warnings and Scott stood before he could stop himself. It was so instinctual to react to an alarm his body did it on its own. But as he reached down to pull Keane to his feet, he paused at the laughter playing out over the man's face.

"You're too late," Keane said but Scott grabbed his arm and hauled him up.

"We're leaving. Now." he barked, shoving the man towards the door. The bag was still on the floor and Scott kicked it out of the way as he grabbed hold of Keane's collar. Judging by the lack of resistance during their brief tussle, Keane wasn't a fighter. Scott didn't think he would have any trouble getting the man downstairs and there was every chance the cops were already on their way. Crowds tended to gather when Tracy Tower suddenly emptied, even for a fire alarm.

He was surprised when Keane let himself be manhandled out of the door. Scott thought he would at least try something. But unfortunately for Scott, it only took him a couple of steps down the corridor until he found out why. Thundering footsteps could be heard on the stairs and Scott's assumptions they were workers heading out was ruined when the stairwell door burst open and five men appeared.

That was when Scott knew the fire alarm was just a distraction. It was the only way the men would have been able to get past the receptionist while being so heavily armed. Scott swallowed but pulled Keane closer, wondering if he could use the man as a shield. If they were together, they wouldn't want to shoot one of their own, surely? Backing up, he pressed the wall against his back and held Keane tight.

"Don't come any closer." While his voice didn't shake, Scott knew he didn't exactly sound confident. One of the men laughed as all five moved closer and Scott knew he was in trouble.

TBTBTB

Virgil carefully edged out of the bathroom as his brother disappeared out of the door. He was so used to hearing alarms screaming that he was able to tune it out as he picked up the gun and moved towards the door himself. He knew why Scott wanted him to remain out of the way and knew having the element of surprise on their side was always a good thing. But that didn't stop him from wanting to kill his brother for making him be the one who hid. It had been hard not to react when Scott had thrown himself at Keane.

It had, however, given Virgil the chance to record everything that was said and beam it up to John. He, too, had no idea what the intruder had meant by his mocking words and he hoped that even if John didn't either, he would be able to find enough out about Keane's background to work out what was going on.

Inching the door open, Virgil carefully looked out, making sure he couldn't be seen. For a moment, he thought the coast was clear. But as he made to take a step, his angle changed and he realised the corridor only seemed clear because everyone in it was pressed against a wall.

Or, rather, holding his brother against the wall while they subdued him.

Virgil winced when he heard Scott grunt and he glanced at the gun in his hand. He had no idea if the men were armed or not but even his brief glance revealed he was outnumbered. He could take out one of them, but the chances were they could turn on Scott before he had the chance to get them to back off.

A scuffle jerked Virgil's gaze from the gun to the corridor again and he swore, scrambling backwards as he realised they were moving towards the room, Keane in the lead. Once he was a few steps inside, Virgil suddenly realised the noise the door would make when it closed would reveal he was in there. Not knowing what else to do, he kicked out at the bag, sending it spinning across the floor. Just in time, the fabric caught in the door and stopped it from completely closing. Virgil dived back into the bathroom, but made sure he kept a close eye on what was going on.

Scott might want him to hide, but that didn't mean Virgil had any intention of letting his brother be hurt. Or do anything idiotic. With Scott, he was never sure which came first. He just made out the sound of the door opening, but then silence fell. The alarm had been stopped. Virgil's ears were ringing at the lack of sound and he tried to focus through it, needing to know what was going on in the room beyond.

By the time his hearing returned to normal, the men had moved into sight. For the first time ever, Virgil was glad of which direction in which the bathroom door opened. For it meant by having it open a crack, he was able to see his father's desk, the one place the men made a direct beeline for. Two took up position either side of it and Virgil could only watch as Keane rounded the desk. For a heart-stopping few seconds, Virgil couldn't remember if they had switched the computer off or not. But then Keane looked up and soothed Virgil's concerns.

"What's the password?"

"How do I know?" While Scott might have been playing it cool before, there was nothing but fury in his voice now. Virgil shifted a little, trying to get a better view. When he did, however, he sighed. Scott was on his knees, another two men standing either side of him, their hands on his shoulders holding him down. Virgil knew that wasn't going to be enough, not considering the look on Scott's face. His brother was biding his time and Virgil hoped Scott would give him a signal before he lashed out so Virgil could at least try and help. He glanced at the gun and sighed. He couldn't even see all of the men – the gun wouldn't help him now. Or help Scott for that matter.

"He's your father," Keane continued. "Tell me the password."

"You really think he tells me stuff like that? I don't want to know what he's got saved on there, thanks…" Scott's flippant tone was cut off by a thud and Virgil flinched as his brother had to put a hand out to break his fall.

"I'll only ask you once more…"

"We don't need him."

A second voice spoke. It was one of the men near the desk, but Virgil wasn't sure which. Frantically, he reconnected his watch having cut the link when the alarm had gone off. If John could get a voice match, they might be able to figure out who Keane was working with.

"He isn't supposed to be here; we had plans for how to hack it."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? You're the ones who shouldn't be here!"

"Shut up, Scotty!" Virgil breathed. He knew exactly what his brother was doing - attempting to get them angry enough to lash out. Why he had suddenly started adopting the same techniques that Gordon used, Virgil had no idea. But the more Scott attempted to get to his feet, the more the men were distracted and the longer it took for them to start breaking into his father's computer. Realising his brother was costing the men time, Virgil held his breath and slowly closed the door. He couldn't help but wince at the click the door made as it shut, but Scott was yelling again and it muffled any sound Virgil might have made.

Crossing the bathroom, Virgil crouched behind the toilet and cursed what his life was coming to. But it offered him some shelter and stopped him being visible if someone glanced in. Glancing down at his watch, Virgil lifted it high enough so that he could whisper.

"Please tell me you've got something?"

" _Almost."_ John's voice was nothing but a murmur and Virgil knew his brother had picked up enough about the situation to know that he couldn't talk normally. " _I'm running scans on that voice. If it's been connected to even the remotest thing, I'll pick it up."_

Another thud came from behind the door and Virgil momentarily shut his eyes. "I know you normally say not to rush you…but hurry up."

" _Almost there."_

"I don't know it!" Scott's shout was so loud that Virgil drew back into the wall a little before realising the door was still shut. Before he could react, however, John spoke again.

" _The one who spoke… His name is Joshua Maloc. He dropped off the grid a few years ago but before that had been arrested more than once for arms dealing. And I don't just mean hand guns; this guy is involved with the big stuff."_

"So what the hell is he doing here? What has any of that got to do with Dad?"

" _No idea. Virg, I'm going to patch Dad in on this…"_

"Don't!" Virgil almost forgot to whisper and his heart gave a lurch. "He'll never let us off the island again…"

" _So you would rather he found out when the media got hold of the news one of his sons was a hostage and nothing mentioned about you? Sorry, kid, it's better he hears it from me. Besides, he might know what they are after."_

Virgil nodded even though he knew John couldn't see it from that angle, and lowered his wrist. The line went dead as he did so. He knew John would patch himself back through when he had news, but for now, they couldn't risk Virgil's watch picking up anything of their father's reaction and giving him away.

Standing up again, Virgil carefully moved back towards the door, knowing he had to at least see what sort of trouble his brother had got himself in. He only hoped Scott didn't push it too far. They wouldn't be able to get out of this if Scott got hurt. Unfortunately, Virgil was fully aware that Scott wouldn't think about what happened to him if he believed that he was somehow keeping Virgil safe. It was one of those things that Virgil had never worked out if he was touched about, or hated with a passion.

But he never got as far as seeing what was going on. For Virgil was only halfway across the bathroom when he stopped, staring with wide eyes. The door was opening from the other side.

Someone was coming in and there was nowhere to hide.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you again for the reviews!_

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Scott's eyes widened as one of the men stepped towards the bathroom, muttering something about needing to go. He ached from the blows the men had struck just to get him back in the room, but his legs tensed and he prepared to rise. This time, it wasn't some ploy to buy time. He had to do something or the men would discover his brother. He wouldn't have minded Virgil appearing when it had been just them and Keane; the threat wouldn't have been that great. But now?

Planting his feet flat on the floor, Scot shot upwards. He didn't hold anything back this time, not caring if he shouldn't have reactions like this. He could keep fit on an island just as he could on the mainland. He swung, instinct taking over as his body reacted of its own accord. One of the men holding him down fell back, his hand clutching his nose as he let out a howl. Scott smirked when he saw the man heading towards the bathroom pause, looking over his shoulder at the scene. Scott's expression goaded him and he turned properly.

But before Scott could move towards him, another man jumped on his back and after that, Scott lost track of who was where and what was going on. He could tell they hadn't expected him to fight back, though. Their plan had meant no one was supposed to be in the room, let alone someone offering a challenge. They hadn't been prepared for this and even though they were armed, their fighting skills were lacking. Scott could only guess that secrecy was more important than controlling him – the sound of a gun going off would have brought people running. Even his father's office wasn't that sound-proofed and no weapons were drawn. Scott knew they weren't the usual street thugs if they couldn't fight but it wasn't a reassuring thought.

In the end, it was numbers that subdued him. Every time he floored one of them, another recovered enough to come at him. All five men were fighting him, leaving just Keane at the desk. Scott wished it was creating enough of a distraction for Virgil to slip out but he knew that wouldn't happen. Virgil wouldn't leave him.

As a knee drove into his stomach at the same time as an arm collided with his neck, Scott found himself on the floor, blinking stars out of his vision. Someone kicked him until he was flat out on the ground and the pilot swore as a foot rested over his neck, the pressure enough to keep him down.

"What are you doing here, Scott Tracy?" Keane asked, his voice cold. He was still standing at the desk and Scott craned his neck to try and look at the man. "Who else knows you're here?"

"Everyone," Scott muttered. "My father, the security he assigns me whenever I'm in the city, the press. If I don't turn up for the rendezvous in fifteen minutes, they are going to come looking for me."

"Do you hear that?" one of the men hissed, worry in his voice. "They're onto us."

"We've got at least half an hour before they trace him here," Keane murmured thoughtfully. "Time enough for us to get what we want. Tie him up and make sure he doesn't cause any more problems."

Scott tried shifting his weight but the men had him pinned at an awkward angle and he couldn't rise. There was nothing he could do as his arms were pulled behind his back and he felt his wrists secured with a plastic tie. As the men dragged him up, Scott automatically tried pulling against it. It came as no surprise when it only cut tighter into his skin. They pulled around the desk chair, forcing him onto it. Scott tried to jump up when they produced a length of rope and bound him to the chair, but he wasn't quick enough.

"What is it you want?" he muttered, trying to see if he could wriggle loose. The rope was too well secured though; he couldn't get free.

"You really don't know, do you?" Keane said, a smirk on his face. "You'll find out soon enough."

Scott didn't like the sound of that. The man's earlier comments about his father were lingering in his mind and he knew whatever they were looking for wasn't common knowledge. Their movements were too cautious. Could they have found out about International Rescue somehow? Scott knew if they did manage to access his father's computer and knew how to search through encrypted files, they would find something they weren't supposed to.

"Whatever you think you are looking for, you're wrong," Scott tried again. He couldn't just sit there and let everything be discovered. Keane sighed, moving closer even as he held out his hand. Another man – the one who had spoken as well – reached into his bag and pulled out a roll of tape. They might not have been expecting someone to be here, but they had still come prepared. Scott turned his head, determined not to make it easy for them. As someone held his neck still, he kicked out, striking Keane as soon as he could reach. The man yelled but Scott's hopes of flooring the man were dashed as he stumbled closer and gagged him.

"You better hope we find what we're looking for!" he hissed, shooting Scott a venomous look even as he stumbled back towards the computer. Scott would have grinned if he could at Keane's awkward movements. "For if not, we might have to call your father to ask him. And if he is as stubborn about co-operating as you are, we'll start breaking bones."

Scott wasn't worried. Their fight earlier had told him enough – these men didn't know how to break bones. But he didn't want his father getting involved with this. Not only because his dad would be more likely to let something slip if he saw Scott being held hostage, but because he would never be allowed off the island for a vacation again if the man saw the trouble he was in. At least telling him afterwards would mean he could leave out the bad parts.

The men took up position, their movements agitated. The fire alarm had stopped and Scott knew they were aware someone might have heard the fight – it had hardly been quiet. Keane started tapping away at the computer again and Scott fumbled with the ties around his wrists.

To start with, he tried to free himself. But when he realised that wasn't going to happen, he shifted until he managed to press a button on his watch. Holding his breath, Scott nearly sagged when he felt the tell-tale vibration informing him it had connected.

John was quiet on the other end, though. He clearly had been talking to Virgil and knew they couldn't draw attention to themselves now. Scott hoped John knew what he wanted: his brother was going to have to do something now Scott couldn't. John had seen the camera feed through their father's computer, after all. He could monitor the machine from Thunderbird Five. Scott hoped John could either hide the files or remotely keep the men out of anything relating to International Rescue.

After that, there was nothing Scott could do. He might have struggled harder if he wasn't worried it would draw attention to Virgil in some way. He was just considering himself lucky that his little brother hadn't tried anything when he saw the bathroom door open an inch. For a moment, he stared, wondering if the man he had been trying to distract when the fight started had actually opened it. But when it jerked a little more, he knew it was Virgil. Staring at it intently, Scott hoped his brother wasn't about to try something stupid.

When something came flying out of the bathroom door and hit the main door with a thud, he knew his hopes were in vain.

"What was that?"

"I don't know."

"Well go and check it out. There might be someone on the other side of the door," Keane snapped.

Scott tried to look bored as three of the men instantly headed towards the main door. As they stood there, arguing over the best course of action, the other speaker moved forward, wrenched it open and pushed all three out into the corridor before following them. Clearly he was concerned about security and wanted to make sure no one was near the room.

Out of all of them, Scott knew he was the one to watch; he seemed to know what he was doing in terms of keeping on guard. Keane barely spared the door a second glance, but the final man moved closer, peering at it quizzically.

To Scott's horror, something seemed to have caught his eye. Virgil's missile – whatever it had been – was lying on the floor close to where it had hit and the man bent down, his fingers reaching for it. As soon as he realised the noise had come from inside the room, Scott knew their problems would have only just begun. He tried shifting the chair, making some sort of noise to make the man turn back to him instead. But Scott was no threat anymore and the man ignored him, continuing to crouch.

TBTBTB

Virgil had ducked back out of sight as soon as he had thrown the object at the door. He didn't think his father would thank him for unscrewing part of the pipe in the toilet, but he would like it even less if their secrets were had been itching to help out his brother, but he had forced himself to stay still. If they had looked as if they were going to harm or even kill Scott, Virgil would have stepped in. But for now, he knew finding out who they were and what they were after was just as important. It was what Scott would have told him to do.

As soon as he had seen Scott being held down on the floor, though, he knew his brother's ability to stall the men had come to an end. It was up to him to do something now but with only one gun and six men out there, he knew he needed some sort of distraction and throwing something at the door had been the only thing he could think of. He had hoped it would just cause the men to turn their backs, but grinned at seeing four of them leave the room. The odds were even now and while Scott tried to stop the final man discovering his missile, Virgil slipped out of the bathroom. For the first time, he was quite glad his brother had been gagged for he was quite sure Scott would have been yelling at him otherwise.

It was easy in the end. All Virgil had to do was bring the gun crashing down on the back of the man's head and he slumped, out cold. Virgil left him where he was, hoping it would help stop the others from being able to open the door properly when they returned. Keane looked up at the sound, but Virgil had already flicked the safety off the gun and was aiming it steadily at the man even as he moved across the room.

"Step away from the computer," he said. His voice was calm and Virgil didn't look away from Keane as he moved towards Scott. He couldn't untie him – he would need some sort of cutter to get through the ties and that would mean putting the gun down. Instead, he reached out and ripped the tape away from his brother's mouth. Scott's intake of breath and the whimpered "ow" meant Virgil knew it had hurt as much as it sounded. He winced.

"Sorry."

"What are you-"

"Yell at me later, Scott!" Virgil stayed on the other side of the desk, making sure Keane couldn't reach him. It was going to be over much quicker if the man didn't attempt to fight back. "Hands on your head. Move away from the desk."

Virgil didn't know whether to be pleased or suspicious when the man did as he was told. Maybe having people here had thrown him off his game and he knew he didn't have a chance with a gun aimed at him? Virgil made sure he wasn't lulled into a false sense of security though, keeping his eyes on the man even as he moved around the desk towards him.

"You alright here for a moment?" he asked his brother, knowing the sooner Keane was in custody, the better. Scott didn't answer but Virgil took that moment to take hold of Keane's arm and pull the man closer to him.

"Virg…"

"I won't be a minute, Scott. I'll even send that receptionist up to-,"

"Virgil, listen to me!"

"I told you, yell at me later." Rolling his eyes, Virgil made to move. He knew what his brother was like and couldn't help but think it was the safest option to leave Scott bound while he got Keane out. Otherwise Scott would probably let the man go by accident because he was so busy yelling at his brother.

Then again…

Virgil swallowed. There was a very strange look on Scott's face and he looked as if he was about to grimace. Before Virgil could follow his brother's eye-line, he felt something cold being pressed against his neck firmly, a resounding click sounding in his ear as the safety was taken off another gun.

Scott grimaced. "Look behind you?"

The force of the gun against his neck was forcing Virgil's head forward a little but he still managed to glare at his brother.

"You could have told me that before."

"You didn't let me!"

"Enough!" Keane said, pulling the gun out of Virgil's hand now he couldn't do anything with it. "Hands on your head."

Just as Keane had had no choice before, Virgil sighed as he linked his fingers and placed them on the back of his head. The man behind him instantly kicked at his knees and Virgil fell heavily, not moving his hands in time to break his fall. He glanced at his attacker and groaned. He clearly hadn't hit the man hard enough as he was up and about now. A clatter made him shake his head, knowing Keane had just thrown the gun on the desk. The man probably didn't even know how to use it, but there was nothing Virgil could do about that as he felt his hands bound the same way as Scott's and he was hauled to his feet. The man kept hold of his collar and Virgil felt as if he was being treated like some disobedient puppy.

"Now what do I do with him?"

"Let me go?"

"Shut up."

Keane moved from the desk, pulling around another chair and resting the back of it against Scott's. Virgil noticed he seemed to be giving his brother a wide berth even if Scott was bound to the chair, but then realised he had bigger problems as he was shoved into the second chair. Just like Scott, a loop of rope was dropped over his stomach and tightened. Judging by the hiss of breath from behind him, the rope had been looped around Scott as well.

They were stuck, tied back to back. Virgil made a mental note to make sure that Gordon never found out about this. He tried craning his head around to see what was going on, not wanting to be stuck looking at a wall. He didn't have to wait long to witness something though, for he had only been bound for a few moments when the door opened and the rest of the men came spilling back in.

"Must have been a false alarm, there's nothing… There are two of them!"

"Hi," Virgil said cheerfully, deciding if Scott's approach of being hostile hadn't worked, he would try something new.

"Why are there two of them?" The voice was the same as before and Virgil tried to remember the man's name as he walked across the room, staring at Virgil intently. The man who had caught him shrugged and Keane didn't look up from what he was doing.

"I said; why are there two of them?" The man's yell bounced around the room and his hand slammed down on the desk with such force that Virgil flinched despite himself. The man saw it and moved towards him, but stopped at a low sound coming from Scott.

"You're going nowhere near my brother."

"If I were you, I'd keep quiet or you might just make things worse for said brother."

"Look, no one needs to get hurt," Virgil said, the name finally falling into place. "Tell your friends to let me go, Maloc. How is this fair considering the tight spots I've got you out of over the years?"

"What?"

"C'mon, Josh… You know I've always had your back."

"You know him?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how does he know your name?"

"Damned if I know…"

"You're lying."

Despite still facing the wall, Virgil allowed himself a smirk. All it took was one piece of inside information and he already had the men at each other's throats. He knew Scott would be taking in everything that was happening in front of him, judging who would be the most likely to lash out and who might be persuaded to free them.

"Then we'll ask him."

Virgil tuned back into the conversation just as the largest of the men appeared in front of him, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Hands off my brother!"

Knowing Scott was never going to be able to relax, Virgil drew his knee up and shoved it into the man's stomach. He let go and stumbled back, ending up in exactly the right position for Scott to loop his own foot around the man's and pull, sending him crashing down with enough force to shake the floor. While both brothers were twisted around, Virgil managed to catch Scott's eye and they shared grins, knowing that being tied up wouldn't stop them from working together.

Unfortunately, their actions had consequences. Maloc and another man moved closer and before Virgil realised what they were planning, his ankles had been tied to the chair as well. Judging by the way the chair was rocking, Scott was trying – and failing – to stop the same thing being done to him.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Maloc asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Virgil said, a smirk on his face as he stared up at the man.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you so much for the support once again! Special thanks to Xenitha and Kirsten as I can't respond directly to you! Hope you all like the next chapter!_

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Despite being tied back to back with his younger brother, Scott felt calm. Since Virgil's casual use of Maloc's name, the men had all been at each other's throats. For Virgil to know said name, Scott knew John was involved and if John had found something, Scott knew they had a way out. It was just a matter of time.

"Scott?" Virgil's voice was a whisper, making sure he wasn't overheard. Keane was still working away on the computer but he clearly hadn't found anything. Although Scott was worried about what Keane was looking for – not to mention Keane's taunt about Scott already knowing – he also trusted Brains. The man had never let them down before (apart from a few machinery burn-outs – nothing they hadn't been able to handle) and Scott knew his father had the highest security possible on his computer. He knew that John would also be keeping an eye on things his end and hopefully blocking Keane's attempts.

"Yeah?" He twisted his head around the best he could. Virgil's voice had been worried and this was the closest Scott was going to get to looking at him.

"Dad knows."

" _What?"_ Scott hissed, his voice rising. Instantly, he realised what he had done and glanced around. Maloc glared but no one came over. The men were close to the door, rummaging through the bags they had brought with them and arming themselves. Keane might have got himself in with a gang and promised them whatever it was he was trying to find, but they weren't letting him take all day about it. They must have realised people would soon start investigating the missing Tracys' whereabouts and wanted to be out of there by then. Scott only hoped they held onto their caution in regards to the noise a gun would make and didn't start shooting.

"John told him," Virgil said. His voice was miserable and Scott could feel his hands twisting in their ties. He grabbed hold, stopping the movement. Virgil was only going to hurt himself if he continued like this. But Scott could understand why. Keeping this quiet had been his only hope that his father would ever let them off the island again.

"We'll deal with that once we are out of here."

"How?"

"For the love of…" Maloc had clearly had enough of their whispering, for he suddenly broke away from his men and strode towards them. Scott swallowed as the man picked up the roll of tape again. "Will you two shut up?"

Scott tried leaning back in his chair as the man advanced, but there was nowhere for him to go. With Virgil tied the other side of him, it wasn't even as if he could push his chair back. But Maloc never got that far. The ringing of the phone stopped him in his tracks. He stared at Scott, who felt his eyes widen in genuine surprise before both of them stared at the phone. Scott could feel Virgil twisting around in order to do the same.

Silence fell across the men as it rang, Maloc signalling for them to get into position, believing it was some sort of trap. Eventually, the answering machine kicked in and Scott had no idea how to react as Lady Penelope's clear tone rang through the room.

" _Jeff, darling, I know you said you were in the office later today. Ring me as soon as you are in; there have been developments with the Tokyo deal."_

The line went dead and Scott had to bite his lip to stop himself smirking. There was no way Penny would ever ring his father's office phone, Scott didn't realise she even had the number. They had far more effective ways of getting hold of each other when they needed to. Besides, Penny might have been their agent but there was no way she was part of his father's business. It seemed the rest of the family were on the case.

"You said no one was due in today," Maloc snarled, turning on Keane.

Keane finally looked up from the computer.

"He's not coming. I've checked his schedule, he's not leaving that precious island for a few weeks."

"Then why did she say he was?"

"They must have given some sort of signal," Keane argued, glaring at Scott as he spoke. Scott rolled his eyes, making sure Keane saw.

"How the hell would we have done that?" he demanded, deciding it was time to up his act a little. "You've been with me ever since this started."

"Your brother then."

"Search him!" Maloc ordered, gesturing one of his men over.

Scott could feel Virgil squirming as the man checked his pockets before pulling out his phone and handing it to Maloc, who instantly passed it to Keane. Keane tapped a few buttons before shaking his head.

"No calls."

"Then he deleted them."

"Do you really think I just checked the call log? What did you bring me for? I'm telling you: he hasn't contacted anyone. They don't know what's going on. There must have been a change of plan."

For the first time since this began, Scott felt a smug satisfaction at seeing Keane looking worried. His confidence was dwindling: first Scott was present when he shouldn't have been, then Virgil had appeared and now it sounded as if Jeff himself might be on his way… Scott didn't blame him for being scared.

"I told you they knew we were here," Scott said quietly. "Leave now before they get here and you might get away."

"No. You've been stalling us since we got here," Keane said, turning his attention back to the computer. "I don't believe anything you say."

Scott gritted his teeth in fury. He couldn't blame Keane; he wouldn't believe anything he said either. But it wasn't making things easy.

"Then at least tell me what you're after. I might be able to help."

"And why should I believe that?"

"You have my brother," Scott said. "I just want this to be over and to know that he is safe. Let Virgil go-"

" _Scott!"_

"-and I'll help you if I can." Scott made sure he didn't look away from Keane this time. He didn't even blink. The man stared back at him with equal intensity before finally he nodded.

"Maybe this one I do believe. I've heard the stories as much as the next man about how close you two are. I need certain files: plans and documents. Files the public don't know about."

"I don't understand…"

"Do you want Maloc to shoot your brother instead? You know precisely what I'm talking about! Your father has hidden files on this machine and I want them."

"What are you going to do with them when you have them?" Scott asked, his heart thudding. He couldn't let Keane discover the plans for International Rescue, but if it was that or Virgil, then there was no choice.

"What do you think? Use them of course. Now, where should I look?"

"Untie me and I can help."

"I don't think so. Tell me from there."

"Scott, don't you dare!" Virgil hissed.

Keane nodded at Maloc and before Scott could do anything, the man had punched Virgil.

"Leave him alone!"

"Tell me what I want to know and I will. You really think, however much he tries to hide it, that your father can get away with an arms deal like this? Once we have the weapons, we'll make it public who provided them and you'll be ruined."

"What?" Scott could only stare. Arms deal? Weapons? Precisely what did Keane think he was looking for on his father's computer? Scott's complete bewilderment made Keane lose his temper, crossing the distance between them and grabbing onto the front of Scott's shirt.

"Enough games! You said you would help me to protect your brother. You have five minutes to have a think about where those files will be archived or I'll have him shot. Think that over." Keane let go and strode to the opposite side of the room. He opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Maloc asked, stepping after him.

"Giving Mr Tracy here some thinking time. What does he think is more valuable: his father's plans or his brother's life? They're not going anywhere, so let them have a few moments to discuss it."

He left and Maloc sneered before heading after him. His men followed and Scott instantly blew out a breath, leaning his head back and resting it against Virgil's as the door clicked shut.

"I don't get it," Virgil said. "Why have they gone?"

"You know how you got them at each other's throats? He's hoping we will do the same arguing over the best course of action and then one of us will be so angry that we will tell them."

"Well, that's stupid."

"Tell me about it. Arms deals and weapons? They can't be serious."

"I think they are, actually," Virgil said quietly. He was still shifting in the ties, trying to use his watch to break free despite the edges being smooth. So far he wasn't having much luck other than to make himself bleed. "John said Maloc is an arms dealer. A big one by the sounds of it. He knows what he is doing and I doubt he would have come here on a whim. They must truly believe that is what Dad is doing."

"How though?" Scott felt Virgil shake his head behind him.

"I wish I knew. I…damnit, almost had it."

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get us out of here."

"I've got a better idea," Scott said. "John."

Both brothers scrabbled for their watches, their fingers bumping each other as they both tried to hit the buttons.

" _Are you two okay?"_ John didn't wait for them to press anything; a sign he had been monitoring the conversation the whole time. Scott's words had revealed it was safe for him to now speak.

"We're fine," Scott heard himself say, although he was beginning to wonder how long for. If Keane and the others truly believed there were weapons at stake here, maybe Scott had underestimated how violent they were prepared to get.

"Why does he think Dad has weapons?" Virgil asked, wasting no time. He knew they didn't have time to spare; there was no telling when the men would be back. This was their opportunity to find out what was going on.

" _I have no idea."_ There was amusement in John's voice. Although Scott could understand that – their father was _saving_ the world, not arming it - it wasn't helping matters. John wasn't the one who had accidentally put Virgil in more danger by offering to help. But even he couldn't help them find something that didn't exist.

"Not funny, John."

" _Sorry. I've been keeping Keane out of Dad's computer and doing some digging at the same time. According to the records, there was an attack attempt a few months ago. The hacker never got in, he never saw anything. But now I'm thinking it was Keane."_

"Could-" Virgil paused as he tried to work out what it was he wanted to say. "I mean, if it was Keane and if he never saw anything, could he have still seen there was something there he shouldn't see?"

"Come again?"

"He's good, right? So could he have got so far in as to see there were hidden files although he couldn't access them, and that's why he has come here, straight to the source?"

A whistle slipped through Scott's teeth as he thought about what his brother had said. "But how did Maloc and the others get involved?"

" _No idea,"_ John admitted. " _Look, what do you want me to do? I can't just sit here and do nothing knowing you two dunderheads could get yourselves killed. I have to do that often enough on rescues, I'm not doing it while you are on vacation."_

"Get Dad to contact his security team. There are six armed men plus Keane, who must know how to fire a gun even if he isn't comfortable doing it. Maloc is their leader but there is tension between him and Keane – they both have a higher stake in this than the rest of the men," Scott reported, knowing details could make the difference between whether they were helped or not. "They know they are running out of time, so they're going to be getting desperate. Get us some help, John."

" _F.A.B."_

"John?" Virgil cut in before his brother could disconnect. "Tell Penny: nice work."

John agreed and went silent again, leaving the trapped Tracys in silence for a moment. They both knew their brother would be monitoring the situation.

"You know we're never going to live it down if we have to be rescued?" Virgil eventually muttered, squirming at the thought. Scott agreed and repeated Virgil's earlier actions of trying to pull his hands free.

"It won't work, Scott," Virgil said. "I've been trying for long enough."

"Well, we can't just sit here." Scott glanced around, looking for inspiration. He looked towards the floor and grinned. His hands might have been bound by plastic ties, but they had only tied his feet with rope. Leaning back on the chair and hoping Virgil being there was enough to stop him from falling over backwards, Scott began wriggling and kicking out as much as he could. He had been right in thinking the ropes had been hastily tied in order to stop him kicking and it didn't take long before he felt them loosen and eventually fall free.

"Your turn," he told his brother, bracing the chairs as Virgil also kicked his way loose. It felt like an achievement when a panting Virgil also announced that he was done, but then both brothers simply looked around.

"Now what?" Virgil asked and Scott was about to admit he didn't have a clue when his eyes fell on the desk. There were scissors on it and Scott knew if they could just get across, then they would be able to cut themselves free.

"We move," he said. Putting his feet properly on the floor, Scott attempted to stand but ended up falling backwards, landing firmly back in his seat without going anywhere and hearing Virgil cursing at him.

"The chairs are too deep for us both to put our feet on the floor," Virgil told him. "You do that and you're yanking me back."

"Sorry." Scott had forgotten the fact they weren't just tied to the chairs; they were tied to each other. "So what do we do?"

Virgil was silent for a moment as he thought it through.

"We hop."

"What?"

"On three, I push back, you pull forwards and both chairs should move. Then we simply repeat the process until we get over to the desk. As I'm assuming that's where we are going, considering you haven't actually told me?"

Scott winced. He had also forgotten Virgil was facing nothing but a wall and hadn't seen what Scott had. Confirming that was indeed their destination, he braced himself once more.

"Ready?"

"Yep. One…"

"...Two…"

"…Three!" Both brothers shifted their weight at the same time. The chairs might have been deep, but they weren't heavy and they moved across the floor by an inch or so. Scott groaned. They were never going to make it there at this rate. If Keane and his men were outside, they must have heard them. But the door remained shut - and he had no other ideas. Starting the countdown again, Scott braced himself for another shift.

It took forever. Inch by inch they crossed their father's office and Scott refused to look away from the scissors. They took a moment to catch their breath.

"Scott?"

"What?"

"Why is Dad's office so big?"

Scott laughed. It was exactly the same thing that was going through his mind but he didn't answer his brother. Instead, he just shifted in the chair until he could brace himself.

"Ready?"

"No?"

Ignoring Virgil, Scott ran through the countdown and they shifted again. After what felt like an age, they were finally alongside the desk.

"Now what?"

"We lean," Scott muttered. Rocking the chair first of all in the other direction to get some momentum, Scott knew Virgil had realised what he had meant. Both brothers shifted their weight to the same side, standing on one leg. It was the strangest feeling that Scott had ever felt, but he was able to slide his hands across the desk by just a few centimetres. It took a lot of desperate scrabbling and cursing and they had to repeat the action a few times before he could actually reach, but eventually he took hold of the scissors. At least, he managed to hook his finger through the handles and flicked them.

"Watch out!"

The scissors skidded off the desk and landed on the floor. But then Scott realised they had a bigger problem. He had automatically shifted to catch the scissors and moved his weight back the other way but Virgil hadn't been prepared for it and lost his balance, his weight pulling them to one side. Still standing on one leg, there was nothing Scott could do other than go with his brother as both chairs toppled over, landing on their sides and taking the brothers with them. Feeling more stuck than before, Scott groaned and rested his head against the floor, wondering if this day could possibly get any worse.

"Damn." Virgil's word summed up so perfectly how Scott was feeling he couldn't help but laugh again. This whole thing was getting more surreal by the moment and he literally had no idea what was about to come at them next.

"Now what?" Virgil continued, but Scott shook his head, still laughing.

"It's your turn now. You come up with the next move."

"Thanks," Virgil muttered drily and Scott could feel him trying to wriggle. But while Virgil tried to think of something, Scott froze.

They had run out of time. The door was opening again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you again for the reviews and support with this story and sorry this took a while, real life definitely got in the way! Hope you like this next part!_

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Despite lying at an awkward angle, Virgil realized they couldn't be seen immediately from the doorway. He and Scott had a few seconds at least before the men realized where they were. The situation was so absurd Virgil was hard-pressed not to start laughing along with his brother.

"Where the hell are they?" a voice snapped.

"How do I know? I've been with you."

The men were both confused and furious. They seemed to be frozen in the doorway, seeing an empty room and not realising the brothers were still imprisoned within.

"We should have left a guard."

To Virgil's delight, their footsteps retreated and the door slammed shut. He knew the men would be back any second; someone would search the room while others searched the hallways. He pushed himself back as best as he could, causing Scott to grunt as he slammed into him. But Virgil didn't stop to apologise, his hand grasping until he managed to get hold of the scissors.

Virgil had no idea how he managed to avoid slicing his palm open as he dragged them closer. But fate decided to favour him for an instant and he soon had them properly in reach. His fingers were hurting at the awkward position he was forcing them into and from this angle, he couldn't even reach the ties around his own wrists. But he could reach Scott and wasted no time trying to cut through the plastic ties holding his brother still.

"C'mon!" Scott hissed.

A second later, Virgil knew why. Footsteps were coming back their way. Now the fire alarm had been turned off, it wouldn't be long before people were allowed back in. The men couldn't risk searching for the brothers for long – they were risking being discovered every second they were outside of the room. Virgil was surprised they had even left, but he supposed they were so desperate for Scott to help them that they were prepared to let him stew in fear of what would happen if he didn't. Even as he forced more pressure onto the scissors, Virgil snorted in amusement. They were in for a shock if they thought that would be enough to make Scott give in.

Finally, he felt the ties give a little as the blades managed to start cutting through them. The door opened again and Virgil looked around to see multiple pairs of feet. It looked as if all of the men had returned and this time, they were not intending to leave again.

"Search the room!" a voice snarled. It was Maloc and the feet moved from Virgil's eyeline.

Someone opened the bathroom door, clearly thinking they might have returned to Virgil's original hiding place but someone else began to head towards the desk. They were approaching from Scott's side and Virgil didn't know if his brother had seen them coming – he had a feeling it was Scott who was stuck looking at the wall this time. As hard as he dared, Virgil dragged the scissors once more across the bindings, hoping he wasn't slicing into his brother at the same time.

"They're here!"

Virgil's head twisted around to see who it was and the scissors slipped from his grip as he did so. Fingers scrambling, he attempted to reach for them but found he was too distracted by the sight in front of him. The man – Virgil didn't yet know his name – looked furious as he moved towards Scott. Considering they were tied together, Virgil wasn't sure what he intended to do. But he never got the chance to find out, either.

The man bent down, his fist raised… and was suddenly on the floor.

Scott had somehow managed to pull at the bindings - Virgil's cuts having been enough to weaken them. He had freed his hands just in time. He quickly shook off the rope holding the brothers together before placing his knee on the man's back, keeping him down.

Stuck on the floor, Virgil grasped the scissors as Scott straightened again, pulling the man up with him, an arm looped around his neck as he kept him in front, making sure the others couldn't just fire at them.

"Put down all your weapons! Toss them over here and I'll let him go."

As the rest of the group openly laughed at Scott's request, Virgil was distracted by his brother. Scott had one hand behind his back and was signalling something. Realising what he wanted, Virgil pressed a button on his watch, hoping it would encourage John to put whatever plan he was brewing into action. They had neither the time nor the options to handle this themselves any longer, not considering how angry the men were. He felt the watch vibrate silently against his wrist and smiled, knowing John had received and understood his message.

"You have nowhere to go, Tracy. You can't even get out of the room without walking past us, so let go of him."

"Let my brother out of this room and then I'll let him go of him."

But Scott had been focusing his attention on the wrong person. He was addressing Keane, but in trying to hold on to his struggling hostage he hadn't been watching the rest of the room. Virgil saw the movement too late and could do nothing as Maloc suddenly was kneeling down next to him, his hand over Virgil's mouth and a gun pressed to his temple.

"How about you let him go and I don't shoot your brother through the head this instant?"

Maloc's voice was cold and Scott jumped, clearly not having noticed his movement. Virgil saw the desperation enter his brother's eyes as Scott turned and his distraction was enough for his prisoner to pull free.

Scott held up his hands. "Please…" he muttered, clearly realising Maloc was reaching the end of his patience. Not prepared to be the victim, Virgil bit down on the hand over his mouth. Maloc hissed, moving his hand and backing off a step.

"Scott, don't." Virgil didn't have time to free himself. Already, the gun was back against his head. But he could stop his brother from doing anything foolish. Virgil was no longer tied to the chair since Scott had wriggled free and Maloc grabbed his bound hands, hauling him into a kneeling position before looping his arm around Virgil's neck and pulling him to his feet. The man backed the pair of them up until his back was against the wall, clearly making sure Scott couldn't try anything.

"I think you've had your thinking time," he sneered, replacing the gun against Virgil's temple as the arm around his neck constricted. "Time to choose."

Virgil shook his head, although the movement was so restricted he wasn't sure Scott could see it. Scott bit his lip and Virgil heard the click as Maloc flicked the safety off the weapon.

"You're a fool if you think I won't go through with it. I'm wanting you to look for weapons. Do you really think I'm not capable of using them?"

The threat in Maloc's words made Scott sigh and his gaze drop. Virgil tried to take a step forward but Maloc's grip around his throat tightened and Virgil struggled to breathe for an instant. But the man seemed to realise he would have no bargaining tool if he suffocated his hostage and his grip lessened a fraction.

"Scott-" Virgil began, taking the opportunity to talk while he could breathe despite not having a clue what he was going to say. Scott smiled at him and sat down in the chair at their father's desk, reaching out to turn on his computer.

"You'll have to tell me what I'm looking for," he muttered, defeat in his voice.

"Scott, no!" Virgil tried fighting back against Maloc, but the position he was held in meant he had no leverage. The man pulled him across to the others as Keane approached Scott. Maloc pushed him to his knees and Virgil looked around to see the gun being aimed at the back of his head instead. Knowing he had to do something, Virgil let his upper body fall forward even as he lashed out, catching Maloc around the ankles with his feet. The man yelled in surprise, stumbling. Virgil saw Scott half-rise and was making to scramble to his feet himself, when he realised his brother was watching in horror.

Before Virgil could question what the look was for, he felt a blinding pain erupt in the back of his head and he hit the floor before he even noticed that he was falling. For a long few seconds, he could only blink as the legs of his father's desk swam in and out of focus. He could hear yelling, but it was muted.

Hoping that Scott didn't do anything stupid in revenge, Virgil passed out.

TBTB

Scott barely noticed the hands on his shoulders, slamming him back into his seat as he stared at the crumpled form of his brother. His head slowly lifted and he stared at Maloc.

"You're going to pay for that!" he snarled. Anger coursed through him as the man causally put his gun away now he didn't need it to keep Virgil under control.

"Be thankful I didn't just shoot him. That can still change. It's your turn now."

Scott glanced back at the screen and sighed when he realised it had restarted and was waiting for the password. He still had time to stall by searching through the files, but he knew if he refused to at least look as if he was helping them, then Virgil would be the one to pay the price. Considering his brother couldn't defend himself right now, Scott knew there was no choice. He deliberately typed the wrong password, then made a show of stopping to think about it. Keane was right behind him, watching his every move. Scott shifted his body slightly as he typed in the correct one. With it being connected to his mother, he had no intention of letting the man find out what it was. But then he was in and Keane moved forward enthusiastically until Scott elbowed him in the stomach.

"I can't search for anything with you breathing down my neck!" he snapped. He heard Keane take a sharp breath but Maloc cut in first.

"Let him get on with it. This is taking too much time."

Keane stepped back again and Scott started opening folders, his mind racing. He deliberately went to the wrong place a few times, hoping there would have been enough time for John to have done something. But when there seemed to be no imminent rescue, Scott knew he was going to have to give them something. But what? What could he do that wouldn't jeopardise the secrets the family had been really keeping?

In the end, he stumbled across the answer by accident. It was rare that anything related to International Rescue wasn't in an encrypted file, but Scott only needed one glance at the picture to know why – there was absolutely nothing incriminating on it. He stared, curious despite his current predicament.

Keane leant forward again. "There! Stop there," he ordered. He didn't seem to have noticed that Scott had already stopped clicking, but instead shoved the pilot out of the chair. Scott let himself fall, hiding a smirk as he turned to look back up at Keane. The man was gazing at the screen intently and Maloc came stalking around the desk. Some of the tension seemed to drain away from the man when he also saw the design and he shot Scott a condescending smirk.

"Knew you could be reasonable, Tracy."

"Now let us go," Scott said. Keane had pulled out a flash drive and was busy copying the design. Scott sent a silent apology to Brains. Maloc didn't answer and Scott sighed, crawling around the desk until he reached Virgil. He carefully checked the back of his brother's head, glad when he found no blood. Ignoring the rest of the men crowding around them - clearly not trusting that he wouldn't try anything - Scott stared at Maloc.

"You said you would let us go if I helped you. I've done that, now it's your turn."

"I said I wouldn't shoot your brother if you helped, there's a difference."

Scott swallowed. Pretending to crouch over Virgil, he sent a more desperate signal to John, telling him to get a move on with whatever he was planning. He had a bad feeling about where this was going and he was desperately outnumbered. If the men turned on them, he wouldn't be able to protect Virgil.

"Restrain him."

"What?" Scott tried to pull free of the men, but two grabbed each wrist and hauled him back from Virgil. There was nothing Scott could do as he was forced to sit on the floor, his back pressing uncomfortably against a radiator. Both men pulled out a set of handcuffs and Scott flinched as both wrists were secured to either end of the heater. An experimental tug revealed he wasn't going to be able to pull out of this one and with his arms extended, there was nothing he could do to free himself either.

The men returned to Virgil and started moving him to the other side of the room, to the second radiator. They cut the ties around his hands and pulled out more cuffs, clearly preparing to do the same thing to him as they had Scott. Scott was relieved. It meant they didn't have anything else planned apart from making sure they had time to get away without the alarm being raised.

Naturally, that was when John decided to react.

Thundering feet sounded in the corridor beyond and there came an almighty crash against the door as someone pounded against it. But the men had barricaded the door and two of them hurried over to secure it.

"This is security! The police are on the way. We know you are in there. Open the door."

Maloc started gesturing to his men, none of them making a sound. Scott had been through Air Force training and often used hand signals to communicate with his brothers when they were out on rescues, but whatever Maloc was using, it was clearly made up. Scott had no idea what was being said.

"There's six of them and they're armed!" he suddenly yelled, knowing Maloc was keeping silent to throw security off. There was a pause.

"Don't worry, Mr Tracy. We'll get you out of there. How's your brother?"

Scott didn't get the chance to answer. Maloc was suddenly in front of him, his hand gripping Scott's hair and forcing his head back.

"How do they know you are in here? How do they know your brother is here?"

"We passed security when we arrived. Our key would have registered downstairs when we used it on the door."

"Then why did no one come looking for you during the alarm?"

Scott didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. First the phone call and now this? Maloc might have been a thug but he wasn't stupid. He clearly knew messages were getting out.

"Uncuff him," Maloc ordered his men, gesturing to Virgil. They had only secured one hand, but the man unlocked it again. They rolled Virgil over and recuffed his hands behind his back. One of the men – the largest – reached down and pulled Virgil up over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Scott knew the fear was obvious in his voice but Maloc smirked. He walked across the room and picked up the same roll of tape as before. Scott could do nothing as he was once again silenced.

"A little leverage," Maloc whispered sinisterly, checking Scott was secure before returning to the desk and taking hold of Keane's arm.

"You've got what we came for?"

"I have." Keane produced the hard-drive and held it up triumphantly. Maloc snatched it from him.

"Well done."

"Wait…" Keane reached for it again, but froze when a gun was jammed into his ribs. Maloc walked him backwards into the chair and one of his men made short work of tying Keane to it.

"What are you doing?"

"We only needed you to find the design. As it was, Tracy did it all for us, we didn't need you at all. Your part in this is over."

"But…"

Scott looked away just as the gun went off. The chair fell over backwards from the force, taking Keane out of Scott's eye-line.

"Mr Tracy! Are you okay? Answer me, Sir!"

"We're coming out," Maloc answered, sending another signal to his men. They all armed themselves, even the one holding Virgil. "And you are going to let us pass."

"And why would we do that?"

"We will have young Mr Tracy with us. If you let us leave unchallenged, we will return him to you. Try and stop us, try and shoot us, and I'll put a bullet through his head faster than you can pull your trigger. Then you can explain to your boss how you got his son killed."

"Scott?" The guard dropped all formalities, nervousness in his voice. His training hadn't prepared him for this; anyone considered to be a threat never normally got past reception. But when there came no answer from Scott – despite his attempts – the man clearly realised Maloc wasn't bluffing.

"We're stepping away now. No one will fire."

There was a shuffling noise from beyond the door and Scott wrenched against the handcuffs. They were going to let the men walk out of there. While the guards thought they were protecting Virgil, Scott knew Maloc was more likely to kill his brother when they were free than return him.

Maloc gave it a few moments before opening the door. As promised, there was no fire and all five men disappeared.

Taking Virgil with them.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the lovely reviews - sorry for the lack of responses, FF went weird and wouldn't show them to me! I hope you like this next chapter!_

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Security flooded the room as soon as Maloc and his men had left. Scott tugged fruitlessly against the cuffs holding him prisoner and one of the men came over and set about freeing him. But by the time he jumped to his feet – once again tearing the tape from his mouth – and rushed to the door, there was no sign of the men, or Virgil.

"We need you to stay here while we secure the area."

"My brother is out there!"

The man who had spoken gently pushed Scott back into the room and closed the door behind him. Scott made to try again, but before he could even reach the handle, a cry sounded.

"Someone get paramedics! He's still alive!"

Turning, Scott saw two men crouched over Keane. Scott had seen injuries before but he didn't move. It wasn't because he couldn't handle the sight, it was because he wasn't sure whether he would kill the man himself. Keane's actions had put Virgil in more danger and if anything happened to his little brother….

"Don't try and talk," one of the men was saying and Scott involuntarily took a step closer. Keane was still attempting to talk and the second man glanced around.

"I think he's trying to tell you something," he told Scott. The pilot crossed the room and stared down at Keane. The security men stayed where they were and Scott knew they would be listening intently. Anything they overheard was potential evidence. They had messed up by letting the men into the building and allowing their boss' sons to be taken hostage and they were not about to let anything else slip past them.

Keane tried to say something and Scott couldn't hear a word. Sighing, he crouched down.

"…airfield," Keane whispered. "They have a plane at the airfield west from here…"

Before Scott had the chance to press for more details, paramedics burst into the room, a stretcher being pulled behind them. They must have already been on the scene because of the fire alarm. Scott made to back off before realising Keane was attempting to move. His hand was by his pocket and it looked as if he was trying to pull something from it. Scott reached forward and took the item himself before backing away and letting the man be treated. It was what Keane had had in his hand when he had broken in – what he had had used to try and work the lock.

"You know we're going to need to take that from you, Sir." The security guard held out his hand and Scott sighed. Handing it over, he knew Keane would testify and co-operate – he wouldn't have given up his gadgets otherwise.

"Get the police to head towards the airstrip to the west of the city."

"We don't know…"

"It's where they are taking my brother."

"We need to wait for the police." The guard left the room, leaving Scott staring after him.

Scott froze for a second before he barged out after him. This time, no one was going to be able to tell him to stay where he was.

"The longer you delay, the more chance there is that Virgil will be killed."

The man's steps faltered, but he continued on his way. Scott swore, kicking out at the wall.

"The cops will be arriving any second, you should calm down for when you can talk to them." It was the same man who had pushed him back into the room and Scott realised how young he was. He looked nervous and unsure of what Scott was going to do next.

Scott attempted to smile. "I'll wait for them in the lobby if that is okay with you? The sooner I can talk to them, the better." He strode off before the man could say anything.

Although Scott could hear the young man hurrying after him, he pressed the elevator's button, then ducked around the corner and took the stairs two at a time while the guard tried to work out where he had gone. The stairs brought him out at the back of the lobby. One swipe of his key card later and Scott was ducking out through a small back door. It only led to the trash cans and a dead-end, but it gave him the chance to lift his wrist.

"John?"

" _They're definitely moving, I can hear their conversation. Maloc doesn't want to leave Virg alive."_

"I figured as much. I'm heading to the airfield now, to see if I can cut them off. I need you to make sure the police take Keane seriously. I can't wait for them but I can't do this on my own either."

" _F.A.B. I'll get onto them now and pretend I picked something up over a radio signal or something._ "

"Thanks, John." Scott wasn't leaving anything to chance. The guard would inform the police, but having contact from Thunderbird Five would add weight to the argument that they needed to get out there immediately rather than working out a plan of action.

Signing off, Scott re-entered the building. He kept close to the wall when he saw that the police were filling the lobby now. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. It was time to play the rich-boy card; he knew throwing their name around now might be the only way to speed things up. It annoyed him no end when police didn't follow protocol when he was trying to run a rescue, but this was different. This was his brother in danger, not strangers.

Striding over, it only took Scott a few demands to find out who was in charge and to walk over and personally introduce himself.

"Keane knows where they are going and he told me," Scott said. He didn't have time to waste. "One of the security men heard as well, he can verify my words. You need to assemble a team to head to those co-ordinates immediately."

"And how do we know it's not just sending my men into a trap? That man was working with them, wasn't he?"

"Until they shot him. I'm not sure they are on the same side any more."

"We need to establish that first. We won't clear any planes for take-off, they aren't going anywhere."

"But…my brother…" Scott couldn't help but think Maloc wouldn't care if he had been given permission to fly or not, he would just go. And he would either take Virgil with him or kill him.

"We will get him back, Mr Tracy, don't worry. But this is my operation now. You've done your part. I'll have my boys escort you back to the apartment and make sure you are safe."

Scott could only stare at him even as two men came forward at his beckoning. They fell into position either side of Scott and he didn't have to ask: it was be escorted or be dragged. They didn't want him anywhere near danger when they already had one missing Tracy. But as Scott slowly walked outside, his brain racing for a way out of it, he felt his watch go off again.

Pretending to retie his shoe lace, Scott bent down.

"Not a good time, John," he whispered frantically, making sure his voice didn't carry.

" _They're not going to find Virg…"_

"I think he will send out a team, he's just making sure I'm nowhere near it."

" _No, I mean, Virgil isn't with them. Virgil isn't moving towards the airfield._

"Then where the hell is he?"

" _Sending you his co-ordinates now. Your watch will track him. Just…hurry up and bring him home. Please?"_

"On my way, John." Scott disconnected and straightened up. He had no idea what was happening with Virgil, but he did know John was right. He couldn't sit there and wait for the police to do things by the book when Virgil was in trouble.

"This way, please, Sir." One of the officers was holding open the car door while the other was halfway between Scott and the car, his arm outstretched to gesture him forward. Scott slowly took a step, making it drag and hoping to lull them into a false sense of security.

Then he ran for it.

Shooting off to one side, Scott almost fell over his own feet as he raced towards the underground parking. He knew his father kept a car here just in case and knew his key card was registered to activate it. Luckily, it didn't take long to find it and the engine was roaring into life by the time the police reached the entrance. They didn't have the chance to try and stop him though, only just enough time to move out of the way as Scott floored it and skidded out of the parking lot in a way he was sure would make Alan proud. A glance in the mirror meant he saw them running for their own car, no doubt to radio in that they had a problem.

But Scott didn't care. All he had to do was make sure they didn't catch up with him until he reached Virgil, then it wouldn't matter. Making sure Virgil was safe was the only thing he cared about.

TBTB

Virgil didn't have to open his eyes to know he was in trouble. He could feel the floor trembling beneath him and knew it meant he was in some sort of vehicle. Cold metal encircling his wrists stopped him from trying to draw his hands back in front of him and a wriggle confirmed that his feet were bound as well. Trying to buy himself as much time as he could, Virgil started sending John a message to make sure his brother was tracking him if he wasn't already. But as the vehicle went over a bump at what felt like high speed, Virgil couldn't stop a grunt from escaping him.

Instantly, rough hands grabbed his shoulders, forcing him into an upright position. Virgil was placed against a vibrating wall and he opened his eyes, looking around. He was in what appeared to be a van. Maloc was in front of him and three of his men were off to one side. Virgil assumed one was driving and the last was with Keane in the front seat. But it wasn't the number of men surrounding him that had Virgil worried. It was the fact he couldn't see Scott.

"Where's my brother?" he demanded, straightening up and glaring at Maloc. He knew the effect was lost when he slipped as soon as the van took a bend, but Virgil thought the fact he remained upright was an accomplishment.

"Not troubling us any longer," Maloc said. He looked unconcerned, but Virgil didn't like the way his hand was resting casually on his gun. Virgil looked at the gun, then looked back up at Maloc.

"What have you done to him?"

For a long moment, he didn't think Maloc was going to answer him. Virgil wrenched at his bonds, despite knowing he wasn't going to break out of handcuffs on his own. But then Maloc sighed.

"Left him tied up where he can't follow us. I wouldn't have needed you either if security hadn't been alerted. You were our ticket out of there and we left your brother dealing with the police and the body."

"Body? What body?" Virgil felt icy dread clawing at him. If one of his father's employees had been hurt because they hadn't called for help as soon as they had heard Keane trying to force entry, Virgil knew he would never forgive himself.

"Keane had done what we needed him to do. He was too much of a loose end to keep around."

Virgil sighed, but couldn't relax. While it meant there was one less man to worry about here, it also proved Maloc wasn't bluffing when he threatened shooting people.

"So what happens to me?" Virgil asked. He wasn't sure whether it was a stupid question, whether forcing Maloc to think about what happened next would be a sure way to speed up whatever outcome was going to come from this.

Maloc's hand tightened around his gun.

"I think you know," he said. But he glanced over at his men and made no move to draw the weapon. "But not until I know we're somewhere safe. While you're alive and in danger, I can handle your brother. But once I've killed you… Let's just say I want to know my escape route is clear first."

Virgil thought he should feel afraid as the man planned his death. But he didn't. He brushed against death every time they went on a rescue and it had never come close to claiming him. He was not going to die because some arms dealer hadn't expected to find him and Scott at the office.

But Virgil's belief was nothing to do with a god or destiny.

Instead, he was calm because he had just transmitted the entire conversation to John. He wasn't going to die. Scott would turn up before the van had even stopped. Maloc had something else coming if he thought he could target a Tracy, especially one with two older brothers. All he had to do was make sure Scott could find him.

"What do you want the weapons for?"

Maloc gave him a disbelieving look and Virgil shrugged. "If you're going to kill me anyway, at least tell me why I'm going to die."

As Maloc himself shrugged and started explaining about the top buyers, Virgil awkwardly started moving his feet, trying to work them free of the ropes. The van was travelling at a high speed and he knew it wouldn't be long before it was ditched. He had to give Scott a chance to catch up before they changed vehicle.

Virgil had managed to work the rope loose enough to slide his feet out when Maloc suddenly cut himself off.

"Just know you are going to die and your father is going to be responsible for a great number of deaths." He moved off to talk with his men, clearly worried that he was giving too much away. After all, if the police had arrived at the offices, Maloc must still be figuring out how they had known. Virgil just about hid a smirk – he didn't want the man suspecting Virgil was still getting messages to the outside world despite his situation.

As soon as Maloc turned his back, Virgil slid free of the rope. He froze once his feet were free, watching the men carefully. But they were all pouring over something – probably whatever Scott had given them. Virgil had no idea of what the designs might be, for he was certain there were no weapons – either for IR or otherwise – on his father's computer.

Very slowly, he drew his legs under him and rocked onto his knees. When once again he remained undetected, he carefully put his feet on the floor and rose into a crouch. The van turning almost sent him flying but he managed to steady himself in time. The men were still facing the other way and Virgil carefully edged backwards. He knew this was going to hurt, but it would be a lot less painful than dying. Not to mention that while he knew John would be tracking him, he didn't want Scott trying to take on the men on his own. He didn't trust his brother to wait for the police. If he was honest, Virgil knew he would do the same.

The handle digging painfully into his back told him he had reached his destination. Virgil pressed down, biting his lip as he did so. To his relief, the door wasn't locked. They didn't have a reason to when they thought him to be tied up.

As the van tilted and swerved around another corner, Virgil released the handle and threw himself out.

He hit the road hard, instantly feeling several scrapes and cuts opening up over his body. He didn't have time to deal with it though, for even as he rolled he heard Maloc cry out in fury. The sharp sound of a gun firing cut through Virgil's dazed senses. Somehow, he got himself up and ran. How long for, he didn't know, but he didn't feel like he had made it far before his leg gave out under him. Throwing himself off the road, Virgil finally rolled to a stop and could only lie there, panting.

But there were no sounds of pursuit. After a moment, he managed to force himself into a sitting position and looked back the way he had come. The van was just visible as it carried on speeding away, taking the bends at a reckless speed. No doubt Maloc thought his safest option now was getting as far away as possible rather than wasting time getting Virgil back. Sighing, Virgil eased himself into a more comfortable position and edged his way along until a tree was at his back. He leant back on it, shutting his eyes for a second. Everything hurt and he could feel a few of the cuts bleeding freely. But with his hands still cuffed behind his back, there was nothing he could do about it.

Awkwardly, Virgil moved his fingers until he once again could reach his watch. He had been transmitting for the whole time, but wasn't sure whether John would have realised what he was hearing or not. As he pressed a button, Virgil winced at how tender a finger was. If he had broken it, he was going to find Maloc and make him pay for it. When their father found out what had happened, Virgil knew he would need his piano and paintbrushes. It wasn't as though the man would ever let them off the island again.

" _Virgil? Are you hurt? What's going on?"_

"John-"

" _You're faint, Virg. Can you move your watch closer?"_

Virgil wasn't entirely sure whether his answering laugh bordered on hysterical or not. "No. I can't. Send my co-ordinates to Scott, would you?"

There was silence while John did as he asked. Virgil hoped his brother hurried up because sitting on the side of a road, who knew where, bloodied and bruised with his hands tied behind his back was not Virgil's idea of fun.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this story. Another one done and dusted. Onto the next!_

Scott looked at his watch - balanced on the dashboard - more than the road, as he drove. He was paranoid the reading would change, that Virgil's location would disappear or move somewhere far out of his reach. He had spoken briefly to him, just long enough to know that his brother was away from Maloc. Right now though, his concentration was taken by driving and the cops he could see tailing him in the distance (Scott partly hoped it was the team moving to the airfield, but he had a feeling it was a squad being sent to bring him back instead) and he didn't have time to chat.

He hadn't noticed before that it was early evening. He and Virgil had been locked up for hours. But it meant the roads were clear – rush-hour was over and it was too early for people to be heading out for the evening. With the roads empty, Scott had no intention of slowing down and only hoped no one tried to pull out in front of him. He didn't want to add wrecking his father's car onto the list of things they had managed to accomplish on a supposedly quiet vacation.

It didn't take long before the city was left behind him and Scott's foot hit the floor. He still had some distance to go before he came to Virgil's location and he knew if the cops caught him before his brother was in sight, it was over. He could hardly say that he was tracking Virgil himself and had no intention of going to the airfield. They had survived this without Maloc finding out about International Rescue: Scott was not about to give it away to the police.

With his gaze flicking between the road and his watch, Scott grew tenser the closer he got to Virgil. Their conversation had revealed his brother was alone and safe, but Scott knew what Virgil wasn't saying. He was in pain. After hearing how Virgil had escaped, he wasn't surprised. But between that and the blow to the head, Scott wanted to get there as fast as he could so he could check his brother for himself and if need be, get him to the nearest hospital. A fleeting smile crossed his face when he thought about what Virgil's reaction to that would be, but then Scott focused on his driving.

Finally, however, he was almost on top of the signal his watch had identified as belonging to his brother. Slowing down, Scott's gaze darted from side to side as he tried to locate precisely where Virgil was. He knew he was around there somewhere, but finding him proved to be a challenge all of its own. It was lucky he had slowed to a crawl, for when he caught sight of a figure sitting slumped against a tree, Scott hit the brakes so hard he jerked violently as the car shuddered and stalled. But he didn't care, leaping out of the car as fast as he could. The cops didn't matter now – he didn't care if they took him back to the city because it would mean they had to take Virgil as well. Reaching into the car, Scott slipped his watch back onto his wrist and hurried over.

"Virg?"

To his relief, Virgil's head lifted and he grinned.

"What took you so long?"

Despite his words, Virgil's voice was weak and he looked awful. Scott dropped to his knees and reached behind his brother. Sliding a piece from his watch, he made short work of unlocking Virgil's handcuffs and pulling them away from his wrists. Overcome by frustration at how the whole situation had played out, Scott drew back his arm and threw the cuffs as far as he could, before crouching down next to Virgil again. He gently rested a hand on his brother's shoulder, taking in the cuts and bruises that he could see.

"Are you okay?" It felt like a stupid question, but Scott didn't know what else to do. It was one thing being there to check Virgil out himself, but Scott didn't have a Thunderbird full of medical supplies waiting for him this time. He had nothing that would actually be of any use to his brother. Virgil nodded but didn't say anything. Instead, he leant back against the tree and shut his eyes.

"Oh no you don't! You know the drill, Virg. No sleeping after a blow to the head."

"You're mean," Virgil pouted. Scott grinned and awkwardly slid his arm around his brother's back. Between the two of them, they managed to get Virgil standing. What Scott wasn't expecting, however, was for Virgil to suddenly turn and visually examine him the same way his big brother had just done to him.

"What?"

"I thought you might have done something stupid," Virgil admitted.

Scott grinned. "I tried. They were faster than I gave them credit for. Virg, I'm sorry; they had me trapped… There was nothing I could do to reach you…"

"It's fine, Scott." Scott knew it wasn't his imagination that Virgil was gradually leaning more weight on him. "If anything, I'm glad they took me rather than you."

"Why?"

"You probably would have goaded Maloc into shooting you."

Scott laughed, but it was flat. "Come on."

Slowly, he began to ease Virgil over to the car. Opening the back door, he let his brother flop across the seats but kept a close eye on him to make sure that Virgil didn't fall asleep. He didn't see the point of staring the engine up again – the cop car was getting closer now and Scott knew they would find a way to stop him if he drove off, even if he was heading back to the city. He didn't want to waste time, not considering he had to shake Virgil awake again. Just as the car reached them, Virgil spoke once more but his voice was so quiet Scott didn't hear him.

"What?"

"Some vacation. We should have gone skiing like we originally planned."

"You would have broken something."

"Would not. _You_ would. You've got no balance."

"Sure, Virg. You keep telling yourself that." Scott chuckled when his brother kicked him in the leg, clearly trying to make his point. But the screech of a car coming to a stop sideways, blocking the road, made Scott sigh.

"Mr Tracy! Step away from the car, Sir! You need to come back with us."

Scott stepped away, showing them his hands so they didn't think he was about to do anything else. One of the officers had climbed out the car and he looked surprised that Scott wasn't about to run for it again.

Virgil's eyes opened and he prodded his brother in the leg again.

"I thought you said you hadn't done anything stupid?"

Scott grinned sheepishly as the officers both approached. They relaxed when they realised that Scott wasn't going anywhere, but then their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Virgil. One hurried back to the car – no doubt to radio it in – while the other continued to approach.

"How did you find him?"

"Keane said they were going to the airfield. That's where I was going but I saw him here." Scott didn't think it counted as lying. This was the route to the airfield and if Virgil hadn't been here, then that would have been Scott's destination.

"So he was telling the truth…" The man ran back to the car, no doubt wanting the team heading towards the airstrip to hurry up. Scott took a step towards them, part of him wondering if he could ask to go with the team. Maloc had hurt his little brother and Scott wasn't prepared to let that go. But then he glanced down at said younger brother and knew his place was here.

"Come on, kid," he murmured. Reaching into the car, he pulled Virgil upright again. "We need to get you back."

"M'comfy here…"

"Sorry, no can do."

It took a little coaxing, but Scott eventually got Virgil sitting up. Then the police informed them that they could return with them and Scott didn't argue – sirens meant clear traffic which meant quicker help for Virgil. While one moved to Scott's car in order to drive it back, the other helped Scott get Virgil into the back of the car. Scott slipped in beside his brother as the engine started and the car turned.

"What do you think Gordon would say to us for ending up in the back of a police car?"

Virgil's laugh – albeit weak – was the best sound that Scott had heard all day.

TBTB

Gingerly, Virgil swung his legs over the edge of the bed and made it into a standing position. He was more stiff than sore now. The police had taken them straight to the hospital and Virgil had to wonder if that was why Scott had agreed to the ride back – he must have known that Virgil would have protested otherwise. But once they had cleaned up the cuts and scrapes and checked his head, Virgil had made a strong case for being allowed to leave. It had only been a mild concussion and when both he and Scott could recite precisely what they should and shouldn't do with such an injury, the hospital staff had been torn. Then their father had arrived and, a few arguments later, had Virgil released after promising he would take it easy and come straight back if he felt worse.

Thankfully, he had been cleared for sleeping and as soon as they had returned to the apartment, he had fallen straight into bed. He knew it was leaving Scott to deal with the police – and their dad - but considering how exhausted he was feeling, Virgil thought he was more likely to say the wrong thing, something that would lead to awkward questions. Virgil knew it wouldn't take long to sort out – Maloc and the others had been stopped just before their plane took off and with Keane switching sides and testifying against the others, they only needed the Tracys' statements as a matter of formalities. Virgil had a feeling their father was pulling a few strings to speed things along so he could take his sons home. From what he had overheard before falling asleep, his dad wanted them back on the island where they couldn't get into more trouble.

But having slept the night through, Virgil wanted to know what was going on. He groaned as he shuffled forward, but knew the more he moved, the quicker the stiffness would pass. He managed to get some baggy trousers on that didn't scrape against the cuts too much but couldn't be bothered with a t-shirt – it was too much effort for him.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Scott was sprawled across the sofa.

Virgil shrugged. "Bored." He knew by Scott's expression his brother was feeling the same.

Scott swung his legs around and Virgil sat down gratefully, letting out a soft sigh as the cushions took his weight.

"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you would be at the offices, getting in the way." Virgil said.

"Dad's over there now. Someone had to stay in case you needed anything."

Virgil raised an eyebrow and Scott deflated. "Fine. He's grounded me. _And_ you, so don't look so smug. He doesn't want us leaving the apartment until Maloc and the others are locked up somewhere secure in case he tries to come after loose ends."

"And you always do what Dad tells you, do you?"

"When it comes to making sure you are safe, yes."

"Don't even go there, Scott. It wasn't your fault they took me with them."

"They should have taken me."

"One of us was unconscious, one fighting. Which would you pick? Idiot." Virgil had known this was coming. He was glad it was just the two of them in the apartment. It meant they could have the talk now without anyone else trying to interfere. Scott could have a hundred people tell him it wasn't his fault and not believe it. Virgil knew he was the only one able to get through to him.

"I know." Scott's fingers dragged through his hair and Virgil could sense his brother's frustration. "But still…"

"But nothing. If I hadn't have kicked him, things might have worked out differently. But they didn't and we can't change that. Besides, what I want to know is what design did you give them? It must have been good, they were convinced by it in the van. But Dad doesn't have any sort of weapon…" Virgil trailed off, totally confused. It had been playing on his mind ever since he realised that Maloc truly thought he had something of value. Could it be there were files on his father's computer that he didn't know about?

Scott coloured slightly. "One of Brains' diagrams."

"Scott!"

"It wasn't anything that could link us. It was his new design for the grapple gun. It looks like a gun – they would have only noticed when they realised it loaded with rope rather than bullets. I wasn't planning on stopping on it but Keane caught a glimpse of the shape and assumed that was what they were after."

Virgil sagged back into the cushions. The gun was only that shape because it fitted neatly into the belt without causing problems. He was just glad that they were still in a prototype stage and so nothing related them to IR. Then again, if they had been marked, Virgil knew full well they wouldn't be on his father's computer.

"I think Brains' grapple gun might have just saved our lives," he settled for saying, not knowing what else there was to say. Scott made a noise in the back of his throat that Virgil took to be an agreement and silence fell between the two brothers again.

"Virg…"

"Don't."

There was an apologetic note in Scott's voice again and Virgil couldn't help but think that if his brother apologised one more time for not being able to do anything to help, Virgil was going to hit him. If their father had already grounded them for getting into trouble with terrorists, Virgil didn't want to know what he would do to them for fighting between themselves.

"I was just going to say… we never made it to your art exhibition. Sorry."

Virgil stared at him before starting to laugh. After a moment, he realised that it hurt to laugh and he really wasn't doing himself any favours. But considering Scott sounded just as sorry over that as everything else, Virgil couldn't help but see the funny side. Scott glanced at him, looking alarmed before he seemed to realise why Virgil was laughing and joined in.

They were still laughing ten minutes later when their father walked in. Virgil could see in a glance the relief in the man's face at seeing that he was up and about. Jeff crossed the room and dropped a hand lightly on Virgil's shoulder.

"How are you feeling, son?"

"Fine," Virgil muttered. He was stiff, he was sore and his headache was coming back. But compared to how he had felt twenty-four hours earlier, he had nothing to complain about. His father's grip tightened momentarily before he let go and sat in the chair opposite them. Their positions reminded Virgil of all the scoldings they had received as children and he instantly tried to sit up a little straighter. He only realised he was doing it when he saw that Scott was doing the same thing. Smirking, Virgil settled back again.

"Maloc and his men are being escorted to the state prison as we speak, where they will be held before their trial. Keane is in hospital but is already in discussions about making a deal. The fact that he surrendered whatever he was using to try and break through the door is working in his favour."

"Do you trust him?" Scott said.

"No. But if it means getting a group of arm-dealers locked up, then all the better for us. Brains is wiping some of my hard-drive from afar – the police want to check it to see why they came after me."

"They really think you're hiding weapon plans?"

"They can't rule it out. It won't take them long to realise there is nothing there."

"Dad-" Virgil shifted forward and grimaced apologetically. "I'm sorry. We should have called for security as soon as we knew Keane was there…"

"Perhaps. But if you had, Maloc would have never gained access and would still be at large. I can't say I don't wish for things to have turned out differently, but the fact that you two are practically in one piece-" Virgil squirmed under his father's look. "- and Maloc is behind bars, I can't complain."

"All in a day's work for International Rescue," Scott muttered, stretching and folding his arms behind his head. Virgil snorted in amusement and began the difficult task of hauling himself up off the sofa again.

"Where are you going?" Scott looked at him in such alarm that Virgil had to resist the urge to hit his brother over the head.

"I need coffee."

"Stay there." It wasn't Scott this time, but his father. "I'll get it; I need one as well."

"Make it three," Scott called as their father disappeared. Virgil, however, groaned as he sank back onto the sofa.

Something told him it was going to be a long time before he could move without someone checking he was alright. But like his brother had said, for them, that was just a day's work.


End file.
